Protein ultrafiltration: A general example of boundary layer filtration

A rotating disk membrane was developed to investigate experimentally concentration polarization during the ultrafiltration of bovine serum albumin solutions. The experimental data supported analytical and numerical predictions which were developed as part of this study. Osmotic pressure and concentration dependent viscosity and diffusivity were demonstrated to be important tactors. The results were also extended to predict ultrafiltration in porous walled ducts. Finally, a formal description of protein ultrafiltration in terms of the Stephan‐Maxwell flux equations was shown to provide a unifying description of all filtration processes from mechanical filtration to reverse osmosis.